Yello Yello
Account in the directory: Legends

Biography Yello

Yello is a Swiss electronic band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank. Their single "Oh Yeah" featured in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and "The Race" peaked at number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.

The band was originally formed by Boris Blank (keyboards, sampling, percussion, backing vocals) and Carlos Perón (tapes) in the late 1970s.

Meier (vocals, lyrics), a millionaire industrialist and gambler, was brought in when the two founders realised that they needed a singer. The new band name, Yello, was chosen as a pun based on a comment made by Meier, "a yelled Hello".

Yello worked extensively with singers Billy Mackenzie and Shirley Bassey.

Band history

Yello's first release was the 1979 single "I.T. Splash". The LP Solid Pleasure, featuring the original short version of "Bostich" (extended to a hit dance single in 1981), was released in November 1980.

In 1983, Yello received substantial media attention with the release of "I Love You" and "Lost Again". Perón left the band in 1983 to start a solo career. With their 1983 album You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess, the band began a working relationship with Ernst Gamper, whose "corner cut" logo would represent them for three albums, and who would design covers for the group beyond the demise of this logo.[citation needed]

In 2005, Yello re-released their early albums Solid PleasureClaro Que SiYou Gotta Say Yes to Another ExcessStellaOne Second, and Flag, all with rare bonus tracks, as part of the Yello Remaster Series.

 A documentary on Yello, Electro Pop made in Switzerland, directed by Anka Schmid, was premiered at the Riff Raff cinema in Zürich in September 2005.

 Yello was commissioned to produce music for the launch of the Audi A5 at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2007 and for the Audi A5 commercial in May 2007.

Musical style

Yello's sound is mainly characterised by unusual music samples, a heavy reliance on rhythm and Dieter Meier's dark crooning voice. Yello have been instrumental in spreading and developing the use of sampling, along with Art of Noise, Paul Hardcastle and Depeche Mode, especially in the construction of rhythm tracks, such as one of their signature tunes The Race from 1988.

Boris Blank has taken a couple of vocal turns; on "Swing" (from You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess) and "Blazing Saddles" (from Flag), and guest vocalists have included Rush Winters (the first female diva to be featured on a Yello recording), Billy MacKenzie, Stina Nordenstam, Jade Davies, Shirley Bassey and Heidi Happy. The group has shared writing credit with MacKenzie, Winters and Happy.

Yello rarely use samples from previously released music; nearly every instrument has been sampled and re-engineered by Boris Blank, who over the years has built up an original sample library of over 100,000 named and categorised sounds.

Discography

Studio albums

Year

Album

Label

UK

US

Additional information

1980

Solid Pleasure

Ralph Records (re-issued by Mercury Records/Vertigo Records)

-

-

 

1981

Claro Que Si

Ralph Records (re-issued by Mercury Records/Vertigo Records)

-

-

 

1983

You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess

Stiff Records/Elektra Records (re-issued by Mercury Records

65

184

 

1985

Stella

Stiff Records/Elektra Records (re-issued by Mercury Records)

92

-

 

1987

One Second

Mercury

48

92

Featuring Billy Mackenzie and Shirley Bassey

1988

Flag

Mercury

56

152

 

1991

Baby

Mercury/PolyGram

37

-

 

1994

Zebra

Fourth & Broadway

-

-

 

1997

Pocket Universe

PolyGram

-

-

Featuring Stina Nordenstam on "To The Sea"

1999

Motion Picture

Polygram

-

-

 

2003

The Eye

Motor Music

-

-

 

2009

Touch Yello

Polydor

-

-

Featuring Heidi Happy on "You Better Hide", "Kiss In Blue" and "Stay"

Other albums

Year

Album

Label

UK[6]

US

Additional information

1986

1980–1985 The New Mix in One Go

Mercury

-

-

Remix album

1992

Bostich

Full Frequency Range Recordings/Ralph Records

-

-

Remix album

1992

Essential

Mercury

-

-

Compilation album

1995

Hands on Yello

Urban Records/Motor Music

-

-

Remix album

1999

Eccentrix Remixes

Mercury

-

-

Remix album

2007

Progress and Perfection

-

-

-

Audi A5 promo album

2010

Yello by Yello

Polydor

-

-

Compilation album

2012

The Key to Perfection

-

-

-

VW Golf 7 promo album

Notable singles

Year

Title

Chart positions

Additional information

UK[6]

U.S.

U.S. D/P

1979

"Bostich"

23

 

1982

"You Gotta Say Yes to Another Excess/Heavy Whispers"

42

 

1983

"I Love You"

41

103

16

 

"Lost Again"

73

 

1984

"Pumping Velvet"

12

 

1985

"Vicious Games"

8

 

"Oh Yeah"

51

35

Re-released with new lyrics added in 1987. This version was added only in the original release of. Peaked at No 9 on Australian charts with 18 weeks in the top 40. One Second.

1986

"Goldrush"

54

featured Billy MacKenzie

1987

"The Rhythm Divine"

54

featured Shirley Bassey

"Call It Love"

 

1988

"The Race"

7

33

 

"Tied Up"

60

9

 

1989

"Of Course I'm Lying"

23

 

"Blazing Saddles"

47

 

1990

"Unbelievable"

22

 

1991

"Rubberbandman"

58

 

1992

"Jungle Bill"

61

40

 

"The Race" (re-issue)

55

re-issued with "Bostich"

1994

"Do It"

46

 

1995

"Tremendous Pain"

7

 

1996

"How How"

59

28

 

"Jingle Bells"

44

 

1997

"On Track"

16

 

"To the Sea"

featured Stina Nordenstam

1999

"Vicious Games"

110[7]

Yello vs Hardfloor

2003

"Planet Dada"

 

2011

"Mean Monday"

Included in the book "Yello - Boris Blank und Dieter Meier". Released on iTunes on October 22, 2011.